


anniversary.

by pyroallerdyce



Series: (not at all spooky) skywalkers series [october writing challenge 2020] [26]
Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Powers, Anniversary, Bookstores, Coffee, Established Relationship, F/M, Kissing, One Shot Collection, Phone Calls & Telephones, Prompt Fic, Prompt Fill, Relationship(s), Short One Shot, Tumblr Prompt, Wordcount: 1.000-3.000, october writing challenge
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-26
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 19:29:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,549
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27211972
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pyroallerdyce/pseuds/pyroallerdyce
Summary: Rose laughed.  “It’s coffee.  She’ll love it no matter what.”“I hope so,” Ben said nervously.  “Today is kind of a big day.”Rose tilted her head to the side.  “Big deal?”Ben took a deep breath.  “Our first date was a year ago today.”or:  it's Ben and Rey's first anniversary.  So of course there's a phone call from Hux, who says something stupid because that's what Hux does.(these will really make little sense unless you read the whole series.)
Relationships: Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Series: (not at all spooky) skywalkers series [october writing challenge 2020] [26]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947904
Comments: 2
Kudos: 17
Collections: October Writing Challenge - 2020





	anniversary.

**Author's Note:**

> attempt at breaking my writer's block day 26th. holy shit this is almost over.
> 
> I honestly don't know why hux is in this. it just happened. 
> 
> and as always, if you like what you read and you want to see more, please let me know via a comment or kudos or bookmark so that I know I'm not writing into a void. enjoy!
> 
> october 26: “If I hear pumpkin spice one more time, I’m going to scream.”

**2018**

Ben walked into the bookstore with two cups of coffee in his hand, both pumpkin spice lattes to get into the spirit of the season. Autumn had arrived, the leaves were turned, and it was the one-year anniversary of their first date. He couldn’t help but think that everything was perfect.

And then he heard Rey’s voice.

“If I hear pumpkin spice one more time, I’m going to scream.”

Well, fuck.

Ben was just about to leave the store and go back to the Starbucks on the corner to get a different type of coffee for Rey when Rose appeared. “Ben! How are you today?”

“Good,” he said, trying to remain calm. “Just thought I’d come by and say hello to Rey.”

“I think she’ll really like that,” Rose said, smiling at him. “She’s not having the best of days.”

“Yeah, I heard the pumpkin spice thing when I walked in. What’s that about?”

“Oh, there was one of those food carts on the sidewalk in front of the store this morning, and we had the door propped open a bit since we did that sanitization yesterday after the store closed and it still smelled like disinfectant in here, and they had like pumpkin spice cookies or something so all morning we kept hearing someone shout pumpkin spice. It got to be quite annoying.”

Ben sighed. “Guess I shouldn’t have brought her a pumpkin spice latte then.”

Rose laughed. “It’s coffee. She’ll love it no matter what.”

“I hope so,” Ben said nervously. “Today is kind of a big day.”

Rose tilted her head to the side. “Big deal?”

Ben took a deep breath. “Our first date was a year ago today.”

Rose grinned. “Oh, that’s wonderful. I remember when Finn and I made it to a year. That’s a big thing.”

“Yeah, it is,” Ben replied. “I don’t know why she’s stuck around, but she has.”

“Stop it,” Rose said. “She loves you. And you’re easily the best thing that’s ever happened to her.”

“Who is what?” came Finn’s voice, and then he appeared from around a bookshelf. “Oh, Ben. I didn’t realize you were here.”

“Just got here,” Ben said, holding up the coffee. “Was hoping Rey could take a break for a few minutes.”

“Of course she can,” Rose said before Finn could speak. “You two should be spending such a special day together. In fact, I’ll tell Rey to go home with you.”

“What special day is this?” Finn asked, and Rose answered before Ben could.

“It’s their first anniversary. I honestly don’t know why she didn’t just say that she wanted today off.”

“Because she’s probably freaking out over it,” Finn said, and that made Ben’s anxiety spike.

“Where is she?” he said instead of pressing Finn for more information. 

He did not need to hear that she was on the verge of breaking up with him at that moment.

“She’s behind the register,” Rose said as a group of customers came into the store. “I’ll tell her to go home in a few minutes.”

Ben nodded and headed in the direction of the register, taking a deep breath before going around the last bookshelf that was keeping her from his sight. He smiled when she came into view and the moment Rey saw him, she broke out into a smile too. Her smile brightened him every time that he saw it and he had always made it a point to try and get her to smile as much as possible.

She really was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“Hey, you,” Rey said, noticing what was in Ben’s hands. “Oh, coffee. Bless you.”

Ben walked up to the counter and handed over the one he hadn’t had a few sips of. “Um, it’s a pumpkin spice latte.”

Instead of screaming, Rey burst out laughing. “Oh god, I am so over pumpkin spice today but I know this is going to taste good so I don’t care.”

Ben breathed a sigh of relief as Rey took the cup from him. “Oh good. I was afraid it was going to upset you because you said you wanted to scream if you heard pumpkin spice again.”

“Ugh, if there was someone outside still who was screaming pumpkin spice every ten seconds, then I would scream. But this is fine, honey,” Rey said, taking a long sip of the coffee. “I really do appreciate this. I’m so tired today.”

“Would you like to go walk down to the café with me and get some lunch?” Ben asked. “Or have you already eaten?”

“No, I haven’t, but I don’t know if I can do that today,” Rey said. “We’ve been really busy.”

“Nonsense,” Rose said as she walked up to the counter. “Finn and I have this. Go enjoy your anniversary. And that’s an order.”

Rose walked away before Rey could say anything. “Well, I suppose a walk down to the café is something I can do now. Give me a minute to get my stuff and then we’ll go.”

Ben nodded and Rey ducked into the back, feeling nerves course through her. She knew that she and Ben had been talking about the fact that this was incredibly special and something they never wanted to end, but making it to the one year mark was a big deal. A really big deal.

She knew that Ben had never had a relationship last that long before, and she hadn’t had one last that long either.

This was uncharted territory for both of them and she was suddenly terrified of how to navigate it.

She forced herself to take a few deep breaths, drank a very, very long sip of her coffee, and then grabbed her coat and purse. She took another deep breath and then walked out of the back to find Ben leaning against the counter talking to Finn, and she smiled just at the sight of him.

God, she really did love him.

Ben looked over at her with a smile that Rey wanted to see every day for the rest of her life, and she forced her nerves down. “Ready?”

“Yes,” Ben said, pushing himself away from the counter and grabbing his coffee. “Let me know about that, Finn, okay? And if you don’t want it, then that’s fine too.”

“I know, Ben,” Finn said, nodding. “And thank you for the offer.”

“Anytime,” Ben said as Rey came up to him. “I’ll talk to you later.”

“Bye, Finn,” Rey called out as they walked away. She reached out and took Ben’s hand once they were outside, and she felt better being there with him than she had all morning. “I thought that you were supposed to be spending the day with your parents.”

“That was a lie,” Ben said, smiling at her. “I knew you had to work but I was always going to come to surprise you at lunch today, and I couldn’t do that if I was with my parents. Besides, Mama would kill me if I spent this anniversary with them instead of you.”

Rey laughed. “Yes, I can see Leia doing that.”

“I cannot put into words what it means to her that you’ve come into my life,” Ben said softly. “But I really can’t put into words what it means to me that you’ve come into mine. I love you, Rey.”

“I love you too, Ben. And I cannot put into words what it means to me that you and your family are in my life either.”

Ben was about to speak when his phone started ringing, and he groaned. “Hold this please.”

Rey let go of Ben’s hand and took the cup from him, and Ben pulled his phone from his pocket and answered it. “Hello?”

“Yo! Solo!”

Ben groaned loudly and Rey looked over at him in concern. “Who is it?”

“Hux, you lousy motherfucker, what do you want?” Ben said, and Rey sighed heavily. 

The last thing she wanted was to deal with Hux on their anniversary.

“Is that any way to speak to your favorite author?” Hux said, making Ben roll his eyes. “Anyway, I’ve got this amazing girl to set you up with.”

Ben looked over at Rey for a moment. “Hux, I have a serious girlfriend. She lives with me. You know this.”

“Yeah, but let’s be real, Solo, she’s kinda boring,” Hux said, and Ben’s grip on the phone tightened. 

“Rey is not boring, you motherfucker.”

“Well, I’m not happy hearing about nothing but books all the time.”

“You’re a fucking author!”

“Writing books is entirely different from reading them, and she’s always wanting me to read this or that. It’s annoying as shit and terribly boring.”

“You know, for someone who is an author, you sure seem to hate books,” Ben said, trying to keep control of his anger. “And stop fucking that shit about my girlfriend.”

“But I don’t want to hear about fucking books when she’s around.”

“Then talk about something else, you fucking idiot,” Ben said, taking a deep breath. “Is there a point to this call or do you just want to antagonize me about my girlfriend on our first anniversary?”

Hux was quiet for a moment. “It’s been a year?”

“Yes,” Ben said, looking over at Rey and smiling. “It’s been a year.”

“Holy shit, you finally managed to make a relationship last,” Hux said in amazement. “I’m fucking proud of you.”

“Two minutes ago, you want to set me up on a date with someone else.” Rey’s eyes widened but Ben slid his free arm around her waist, pulling her close. “That’s never going to happen. I don’t want anyone else.”

Hux fell silent again. “You want to marry her, don’t you?”

Ben swallowed hard. He really didn’t want to answer that question. Not in front of Rey. Not in front of anyone. He didn’t even want to answer that question when he was alone. He wasn’t ready to admit that yet. He wasn’t.

But he wanted to marry Rey and the thought terrified him.

“I’m not answering that question,” Ben eventually said, which only served to make Hux let out what he could only describe as a whoop.

“I am thrilled for you, Solo. I really am. I just wish she wasn’t so boring.”

“Rey is not boring,” Ben stressed again. “And if you ever say that to me again, you’re getting a fist to your jaw the next time we see each other.”

“You would not punch me over this.”

“The fuck I wouldn’t.”

“Fine, I’ll back off. But only because Phasma will kill me if I don’t.”

Ben shook his head. “Oh, she’s going to kill you anyway for attempting to ruin my anniversary.”

“I didn’t fucking know!”

“Doesn’t matter.”

“Fuck off, Solo.”

“I’m serious.”

“So am I.”

Ben sighed with relief when the call went dead, and he shoved his phone back into his pocket. “I fucking hate him.”

Rey handed Ben back his coffee and then took his other hand. “He wanted to set you up with someone else because I’m boring.”

“It’s just because you’re always talking to him about books and he finds books to be boring as shit,” Ben said, squeezing her hand. “Don’t take it personally because he’s a fucking asshole who wouldn’t know any sort of etiquette if he tried.”

“I’m not taking it personally,” Rey assured him. “I am curious as to why an incredibly successful author like he is hates books.”

“Don’t fucking ask me. I have no idea how the trash he writes even sells one copy, let alone the millions that the last one did.”

“Don’t call it trash,” Rey admonished. “I know that you hate him, but that is his hard work, and people love what he writes. His last book sold out at the store eleven times before the rush to get it slowed a little bit.”

Ben sighed. “I will not call it trash even though it is,” he said. “And I cannot believe that people like it.”

“I like it,” Rey said, and Ben’s head whipped around to look at her. 

“What?”

“Whenever we have a book that sells out like that, I always take a copy and read it. When I found out it was a series, I started with book number one, and I was hooked by the end of the fifth chapter. I read the whole series like crazy so I could get to the new book. His stuff really is amazing, especially for someone who is just making it up as he goes along.”

Ben walked silently for a block. “You like Hux’s books.”

“Yes, I do,” Rey said. “And they are not trash. I actually think you’d like them if you read them so you should.”

“You want me to read Hux’s books,” Ben said slowly. “You do realize that I hate him, right?”

“You don’t hate him,” Rey said seriously. “You would shove him out of your life completely if you hated him. But you don’t because he’s still your friend.”

“I could be in jail right now for attempted robbery because of that idiot.”

“That was your own idiocy for doing that.”

“It was his idea! He dared me!”

“Yes, but you’re still the one who did it,” Rey pointed out. “Let‘s stop talking about Hux and concentrate more on the fact that it’s our anniversary.”

“Yes, let’s,” Ben said, taking a sip of his coffee. “I never thought we’d make it to this point, to be honest. I was certain I was going to fuck this up within a month.”

“No, honey,” Rey said, squeezing his hand. “Every time that you say something ridiculous, I generally find charming more so than annoying or angering now.”

“There is nothing charming about some of the stuff I’ve said to you in the past year.”

“The content is not charming. The way you react when you realize you’ve said something stupid is. I’ve just learned to not concentrate on what you said and am instead charmed by your reaction.”

Ben spotted the café up ahead and sighed. “I bet you Poe is in there and if he is then we’re not going to be left alone.”

“Then let’s go to Jakku,” Rey said. “It’s not that far from here.”

“I like the way you think.”

They stopped at a crosswalk a moment later, and Ben turned to Rey with a smile on his face. “I really need to kiss you.”

Rey laughed. “As I said back then, you don’t need to say it. You can just do it.”

“I know,” Ben murmured, bending to bring their lips together. 

They stood there kissing even as the light for pedestrians to cross came on, and the rest of the people waiting just walked around them. The light had turned off by the time that they parted, and Ben and Rey gave each other smiles that only the other could bring out of them.

At that moment, Ben finally admitted to himself that he wanted to marry Rey.

At that moment, Rey finally admitted to herself that she’d finally found the person who was the other half of her soul.

They both knew that marriage would happen. 

It was only a matter of when.


End file.
